CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICAN
COINS & CURRENCY

ARGENTINA COMMEMORATES OIL AND
FALKLANDS WAR

In recent years Argentina issued a number of attractive circulating
commemorative 2 Peso coins. For some reason however they seem to
commemorate failures. The copper-nickel coins are 30mm in diameter and
have a reeded edge. In 2007 two commemoratives were issued. The first
commemorated the 100th anniversary of the nations petroleum industry.
One side pictures an oil well, the other side depicts an oil pump and
the name of the province “Chubut” where oil was discovered and is the
heart of the countries petroleum industry. Oil was discovered in 1907,
when a crew drilling for water, struck oil instead. In recent years the
country has turned from a net exporter of energy to a net importer.
Government price controls on energy and expropriations have dried up
exploration and investment in the petroleum industry despite the
country having potentially huge energy reserves. The other
commemorative for 2007 honors the 25th anniversary of the Malvinas
Wars, a war which Argentina lost. The Malvinas, more widely known as
the Falkland Islands, had been under British control since 1833. In
1982 Argentina invaded the islands. Within about 2 months, the British
recaptured the islands and forced the surrender of the Argentinean
forces. One side depicts an Argentinean soldier and flag. The other
side features a map of the islands marked “Malvinas Argentinas”. All
three coins are Uncircuated, however they tend to have minor nicks in
the fields. It is an interesting set of three commemoratives, all of
which seem to honor failures rather than successes.

ARGENTINA
CELEBRATES A NEW CONSTITUTION

In
1994 Argentina implemented a major constitutional reform. The new
constitution was designed to end previous abuses by increasing the
protection of political and consumer rights, adding sections dealing
with public ethics, environmental protection and limiting the power and
term of the President. These pure nickel 2 and 5 Peso coins
were issued to commemorate the event. Both 1994 dated coins
have the same design. The obverse features the Argentine
Coat-of-Arms, the names of the two cities that hosted the
Constitutional Convention, Parana and Santa Fe, and the arms of the two
cities. The reverse represents the Constitution as an open
book, with the first words of the preamble depicted.

BELIZE COIN SET
INCLUDES COLUMBUS' SHIPS

Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, is in Central America. The
area was the site of ancient Mayan civilizations and was sighted by
Columbus in 1502. It was settled by shipwrecked British
sailors and pirates in the 17th century and became a British colony
upon the collapse of the Spanish Empire in the 1820's. It became an
independent nation in 1981. Included in this six coin set is
the 2007 scalloped edge 1 cent, the 2006 5 cent, the 2000 10 cent, the
2007 25 cent, the 1991 50 cent and the 10 sided one dollar dated
2007. The Dollar coin pictures Columbus' three ships.

BEAUTIFUL OLD
BRILLIANT UNCIRCULATED
BOLIVIAN COINS

This
Brilliant Uncirculated three coin set from Bolivia includes the
copper-nickel 1935 5 Centavos, 1936 10 Centavos and the 1939 50
Centavos. The obverses of the coins depict the Bolivian arms
which feature the Potosi mountain silver mine and an alpaca.
The reverses have a caduceus, the denomination and date. The
5 and 50 Centavos were struck only a single year. It is an attractive,
old set in top condition.

ATTRACTIVE
UNCIRCULATED WORLD WAR II ERA BOLIVIA 50 CENTAVOS

Because
nickel
was a valuable war commodity in World War II, in 1942 Bolivia
replaced their copper-nickel 50 Centavos with this bronze 50
Centavos. The design remained
the same. The obverse of the coin depicts the Bolivian arms
which feature the Potosi mountain silver mine and an alpaca.
The reverse has a caduceus, the denomination and date.
The
24mm coin has a plain edge. It was struck at the
Philadelphia Mint in the United States, however it does not have any
mintmark. The coin has most of its original
mint luster, however it was struck from worn or cracked dies. so may
show weak areas or die cracks.

Item
BO-50C BOLIVIA 50 CENTAVOS 1942 KM182a.1
UNC.
$3.00

BRAZIL SET FEATURES
PROFESSIONS

This
short-lived 4 coin set from Brazil features Brazilians engaged in their
daily work. The 1 Centavo depicts a farmer and cows.
A fisherman and two fish is on the 5 Centavos. A
miner and three diamonds is on the 10 Centavos. The 50
Centavos depicts what appears to be a weaver making cloth.
The coins were introduced in 1989 as part of a currency
reform, in which 1000 of the old Cruzados became worth 1 Crozado Novo.
Inflation continued out of controll and the coins were soon
worthless. In 1990 Brazil introduced another reform and
Cruzado Nova was replaced by the Cruzeiro. All four coins
are made of Stainless Steel and feature the denomination on the
obverse. It is an inexpensive and attractive Brilliant Uncirculated set.

100th ANNIVERSARY
OF THE BRAZILIAN REPUBLIC

Brazil
issued this 1 Novo Cruzado coin in 1989 to celebrate the 100th
anniversary of Brazil becoming a Republic. One side depicts
the bust of Liberty. The other has the denomination and a
stylized portion of the Brazilian flag featuring the Southern
Cross. Because of rampant inflation at the time, the coin saw
little circulation. The 31mm coin is struck in Stainless
Steel.and has a plain edge.

BRAZIL
HONORS ITS CENTRAL BANK

Brazil
issued a bi-metallic 1 Real coin in 2015 to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of the Central Bank of Brazil. The coin depicts
the bank’s headquarters building in Brasilia. The unusually
shaped building was supposedly inspired by the cross found on the 18th
Century Brazilian gold doubloon. Considering the bank’s awful
track record in controlling inflation I am not sure why it would
commemorate itself. Brazil went through 4 currency
revaluations in the last 50 years. The coin is
27mm in diameter and has the standard 1 Real reverse.

Item BR-BANK15 BRAZIL 1 REAL 2015 CENTRAL
BANK, BU $3.00

BRAZIL 2012
OLYMPIC FLAG COIN

Brazil
issued this circulating bi-metallic 1 Real coin at the close of the
2012 London Summer Olyumpics to commemorate
the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero. The 27mm
coin features the Olympic flag and the logo of the 2016 Olympic Games,
along with the legend "Londres 2012 Rio 2016". It is one of
the only Olympic coins that refers to more than one Olympic
game. The coin utilizes the standard 1 Real reverse.
Beasue
it had a much lower mintage than the subsequent Olympic coins it is
much in demand.

Item
BR-OLY12 BRAZIL 1 REAL 2012 OLYMPICS KM679 BU out

BRAZILIAN
RIO OLYMPIC COINS

Brazil
released a series of circulating commemorative
bi-metalic 1 Real coins to commemorate the 2016 Olympic Games and
Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Sixteen 1 Real
coins depicting various
Olympic and Paralympic sports were released starting in 2014.
The four 2014 issues depict track, swimming, golf and the
para-triathalon. Eight coins were released in 2015 featuring
basketball, swimming, rugby, Paralympic canoeing, soccer, volleyball,
judo and Paralympic track. Four 2016 coins have been
released, depicting boxing, Paralympic mascot Tom, Olympic Mascot
Vinicius and Paralympic swimming. All the coins
have a common reverse which includes the date, denomination and a motif
from the Brazilian flag that features the Southern Cross
constellation. The 27mm bi-metallic coins
have a stainless steel center and a bronze-plated steel outer
ring. All coins are Brilliant Uncirculated.

SCARCE SILVER
OLYMPIC COINS FROM BRAZIL

Brazil issued a series of beautiful sterling silver Proof 5 Reais coins
to commemorate the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro. The
40mm coins have a mintage of only 25,000 each, contain .803 troy ounces
of silver and come sealed in special capsules. We have the
following issues available: 2015 featuring rowing at Lagoa Rodrigo de
Freitas on the obverse and orchids on the reverse. 2015 depicting beach
volleyball on Copacabana on the obverse and a Chorinho band playing a
guitar, tambourine, ukulele and flute on the reverse. 2015 with the
Channel-Billed Toucan on the reverse and cycling at Tijuca Forest on
the obverse. 2014 depicting a Francisana Dolphin on the
reverse and cycling at Tijuca Forest on the obvers. 2015 with the
Channel-Billed Toucan on the reverse and cycling on the obverse. They
are popular, hard-to-find, host country silver Olympic coins.

ODD
LITTLE COIN FROM THE UNITED
STATES OF COLOMBIA

The
United States of Colombia (Estados Unidos de Colombia) issued this
small, 14mm, copper-nickel 2 ½ Centavos dated 1881. One side
depicts a liberty cap, the other has the denomination and date.

Item CO-179 COLOMBIA 2 1/2 CENTAVOS 1887
KM179 VF $3.00

LEPER COLONY
COINS FROM COLOMBIA

Leprosy was once a dreaded and incurable disease. At one time
it was feared that Leprosy could be spread by contamination of
money. In 1901 Colombia issued the world’s first Leper colony
coins for use in their leper colonies in order to prevent the
"contamination" of its money supply. We have two coins from this first
series, the 5 and 10 Centavos dated 1901. Both coins have a similar
design, featuring a large
cross with the word “LAZARETO” (Leper) on one side and the denomination
on the other. It was later discovered that leprosy was not
spread by money and the introduction of antibiotics made the leper
colonies unnecessary. The leper colonies were
closed in the 1950’s and the tokens redeemed. Today these items are
quite scarce as few were saved.

Item CO-L5 COLOMBIA LEPER COLONY 5 CENTAVOS
1901 KM-L2 VF-XF $30.00

Item CO-L10 COLOMBIA LEPER COLONY 10 CENTAVOS
1901 KM-L3 VF-XF $30.00

NEW BANKNOTES FROM
COLOMBIA

Colombia released two new high denomination banknotes in November
2016. The front of the 2000 Pesos features both the head and
the standing figure of painter Débora Arango Perez. The back features
Caño Cristales, also known as the "River of Five Colors" due to its
striking colors caused by colorful riverweeds. Also on the
back are various birds in flight and a quote of Débora
Arango. The 5000 Pesos honors poet José Asunción
Silva. Depicted on the front are both his head and an unusual image of
him standing, holding an umbrella, with his back to the
viewer. The back of the note features the mountainous
landscape of the Colombian Paramos depicting frailejón (Espeletia)
plants. An Andean Condor flies above. To the right
is his poem "Melancolía" in very tiny print. A bumblebee,
used as a registration device, is visible on both the front and
back. Both notes feature watermarks and a security strip.

Item
PM-CO-SET2 COLOMBIA 2000 & 5000
PESOS NOTES 2016
UNC. $7.00

ECUADOR
COIN SET

This six coin set from Ecuador includes the 50 Centavos, 1 and
5 Sucres dated 1988 and the 10, 20 and 50 Sucres dated 1991. All of
coins are struck in nickel-clad steel. The top four denominations have
their value in braille to aid the blind. According to the Standard
Catalog of World coins, all but 100,000 of the 1988 issue was withdrawn
from circulation and melted.

HONDURAS COIN SET

This four coin set from the Central
American nation of Honduras includes the brass 5 and 10 Centavos dated
2006, the 1999 20 Centavos and the 2005 50 Centavos, both made of
nickel-plated steel. The 5 and 10 Centavos depict the
denomination on one side and the national arms on the other.
The 20 and 50 Centavos depict Chief Lempira one one side and
the national arms on the other. Lempira united some 200
villages to lead a brave but unsuccessful war against the Spanish
conquistadors. Honduras honored him by putting him on coins
and naming their currency after him. All four coins are
Brilliant Uncirculated.

Item
S-HN-SET4 HONDURAS 4 COIN SET 5 - 50
CENTAVOS, BU $3.00

MEXICAN COINS AND
BANKNOTES NOW HAVE THEIR OWN PAGE:

PANAMA 1953 50th
ANNIVERSARY CENTESIMO

Panama celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its
independence in 1953 with the striking of this commemorative 1
Centesimo
coin. One side pictures native chief Urraca, who helped Panama gain its
independence from Spain in 1821, before it joined the Colombian
Federation. The reverse shows the date and denomination. Panama gained
its independence from Colombia in 1903 with the help of the United
States, after Colombia rejected a treaty with the United States to
build a canal across the isthmus. The bronze 1 Centesimo has the same
composition and dimensions as the United States cent and has a mintage
of 1.5 Million. The coin is Uncirculated, though may be slightly toned.

Item
PA-17 PANAMA 1 CENTESIMO 1953 KM17 UNC. $3.00

2016
PANAMA HALF BALBOA COMMEMORATES RUINED JESUIT CHURCH

Panama depicts the Compania de Jesus Church (Jesuit Society Church) on
their 2016 Half Balboa. The coin is part of an annual series
commemorating Panama Viejo (Old Panama). The Jesuit convent and church
was built in 1673, just before the Spanish banished the Jesuits from
the colonies. Around 1740, additional structures were added to
accommodate a school that later became the first university in the
city. The entire complex burned down in 1781 and was never
rebuilt. An earthquake in 1882 further damaged the structure.
The arms of Panama is on the obverse. The coin was struck at
the Royal Canadian Mint to the same standards as the United States Half
Dollar and are Brilliant Uncirculated. The arms of Panama is
on the reverse.

Item
PA-16JESUIT PANAMA 1/2 BALBOA 2016 JESUIT
CHURCH, BU$3.75

PANAMA
CELEBRATES CANAL

Panama recently released a circulating multi-color quarter Balboa
commemorating the nation's famous canal. One side of the coin
features a colorized circle depicting a pair of workers digging on the
canal. Massive steam shovels and their gear teeth also appear
in the design. The obverse features Panama's coat-of-arms.
The coins, struck by the Royal Canadian Mint, are the same size and
metallic composition as a United States quarter
dollar. We also have available the 2000 dated 1
Centesimo struck to commemorate the canal, the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the beginning of the 21st
century. The 22.8mm aluminum coin depicts a ship passing
through the canal on one side and the national arms on the other.

Item
PA-25C-CANAL PANAMA 1/4 BALBOA 2016 CANAL
(COLOR) BU $5.00

Item
PA-1C-CANAL PANAMA 1 CENTESIMO 2000 CANAL-FAO,
KM132 BU $3.00

PANAMA’S MEDICAL
COMMEMORATIVES

Panama released two circulating commemorative 1/4 Balboa coins in
2008. One is for Breast Cancer Awareness and features a
ribbon. The other commemorates the 50th anniversary of the
Children’s Hospital in Panama City and pictures the hospital.
Both feature the Panamanian arms on the obverse.

THE PARAGUAYAN COIN
THAT WAS NOT TO BE

In
1964 French President Charles De Gaulle planned a visit to
Paraguay. He was the first head-of-state from outside Latin
America ever to visit the country, so Paraguay wanted to honor the
event with what was supposed to be their first ever commemorative
coin. After the preliminary designs were done, French
diplomats objected, because De Gaulle did not want to have his portrait
on any legal tender coin. The planned coin was hastily converted into a
medal instead. The large 45.4mm piece features the Paraguayan arms,
depicting a lion guarding a liberty cap, on the obverse. The
reverse pictures French President Charles De Gaulle and Paraguay
President Alfredo Stroessner. The bronze medal has an
oxidized (antiqued) finish. It was struck in a Switzerland with a very
limited mintage. It is a scarce and interesting items that are rarely
ever offered for sale.

WITH HEROES LIKE
THESE, WHO NEEDS VILLAINS

This
seven coin set from Paraguay features some of the nations top heroes.
With heroes like these it is little wonder that the country has
suffered so greatly over the years. The 1000 Guaranies pictures
Francisco Solano Lopez, a 19th century megalomaniac whose rule nearly
destroyed his country. He ruled the country as his own personal
property, at one time he transferred most land in the country to his
mistress. Fearful of any potential opposition, ordered the executions
of his own brothers and had his mother and sisters tortured. He ordered
the executions of cabinet ministers,
judges, bishops, priests and most of the civil officers. He also
attempted to have himself canonized by the local bishops. He started
wars with Brazil and Argentina, known as the War of the Triple
Alliance, which resulted in the near total destruction of his country,
loss of vast amounts of territory as well as the loss of over half of
its population. Some have estimated that up to 90% of the male
population died as a result of the war. The reveres pictures the
National Heroes Pantheon. The 500 Guaranies pictures General Bernardino
Caballero. In 1881 he organized a coup to become President. He fathered
90 children outside of marriage. In 1886 he rigged the elections to
assure his favored candidate would be chosen, and founded the Colorado
party. The reverse pictures the Central Bank of Paraguay. The 100
Guaranies pictures General Jose E. Diaz, a hero of the War of the
Triple Alliance, who died in battle. He was promoted to General an hour
before his death. The reverse pictures Ruins of Humaita, The 50 Guarani
depicts Major General José Félix Estigarribia. A military hero for his
victory over Bolivia in the Chaco War, he was elected President in
1939. Six months later he suspended the constitution, dissolved the
legislature and granted himself broad powers. In 1940 he died in an
airplane crash. The reverse pictures the Acaray River Dam. The 10
Guarani depicts General Eugenio Alejandrino Garay, who lead several
successful battles in the Chaco War despite his advanced age, and who
was an accomplished journalist. The reverse pictures a cow. A generic
Paraguayan woman holding a pot is on the 5 Guarani and a Paraguayan
soldier is on the 1 Guarani. The top four denominations are dated 2007
or 2008, while the lower three denominations are brass-colored and are
dated 1992 to 1996. All seven coins are Brilliant Uncirculated.

SILVER SOCCER COIN FROM PARAGUAY

Soccer
is the favorite sport of Paraguay, so it was only natural that
they issued this sterling silver Proof 1 Guarani to commemorate the
2006 World Cup Soccer (FIFA) games. The coin features a a
ball going
into the goal on the reverse and the national arms on the obverse.
The
attracrtive 40mm coin is dated 2004 and contains .80 troy
ounces of
silver. It has a mintage of only 50,000 pieces and a catalog
value of
$50.00

PERUVIAN SILVER MEDAL
CLAIMS PART OF CHILE!

Peruvian
dictator Augusto Bernardino Leguia issued this silver medalette as part
of Peru’s Fiestas Patrias Great Military Parade Day in 1925.
The medalette calls for the return of El Morro Arica, which Peru lost
to Chile, along with the surrounding territory, 45 years earlier in the
War of the Pacific.
Since then the two nations had numerous unfruitful negotiations over
the status of the territories. Recovery of the lost territory
had long been a rallying point for Peruvian politicians. The
obverse depicts the coastal mountain El Morro Arica. It is the most
recognizable landmark in the area. Above it is the legend
“RECUPERAR EL MORRO” (Recover El Morro) and
“A.B.LEGUIA”. . In exergue is the date of the
event:“29 JULIO 1925” The reverse has the legend “JUNTA
PATRIOTICA NACIONAL”. In 1929 the two nations finally came to
a formal agreement, El Morro and Arica province remained part of
Chile. The 22.8mm silver medal weighs 5.5 grams and
was made with a small hole at the top in order to suspend it from a
hanger or ribbon. The medalette is Uncirculated, though may
show some slight friction or bag marks. It is an unusual and
rarely seen piece.

Item PE-MEDAL PERU EL MORRO ARICA SILVER
MEDALETTE,1925 $9.50

400th
ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIMA MINT

Peru issued this attractive five coin set in 1965 to commemorate the
400th anniversary of the founding of the Lima mint. The mint,
founded in 1565, produced thousands of tons of silver and gold coins,
most of which were shipped to Spain or used in trade in the
Orient. The five coin set includes the 5, 10, 25, 50 Centavo
and 1 Sol, all struck in brass. The coins all bear the same
design, with a representation of an early coin and the dates “1565 +
1965” on one side and the Peruvian arms and the denomination on the
other. It is an attractive and historic set.

WEALTH
AND PRIDE OF PERU

Between
2010 and 2016 Peru issued a series of 26 circulating 1 Nuevo Sol
coins commemorating the "Wealth and Pride of Peru" (Riqueza Y Orgullo
Del Perú).
Each of the coins featured a major archeological, historical or
cultural landmark or object, one from each of Peru's 26 regions. A very
large LIMA mintmark is also featured on the coin. Peru is
proud
of the Lima mint, which was
founded in 1565 The obverses of all the coins feature the
arms of
Peru and the date. The 25.5 mm coins are struck in a
copper-nickel-zinc alloy called "Alpaca silver". It
is an attractive set that is difficult to assemble.

HISTORIC
VENEZUELA COIN SET

In 1874 Venezuela introduced a new series of coins designed by French
Albert Barre depicting Simon Bolivar. Bolivar liberated much
of South America from Spanish rule in the early 19th century. Venezuela
named their currency after him. Barre’s name is prominently
displayed beneath Bolivar’s portrait. Venezuela’s coat-of-arms is on
the other side of the coin. Venezuela continued to use this
design on all of their coins for over 100 years, making it one of the
most consistent coinage designs in modern times. This set of
5 coins dated 1989 or 1990 includes the 25 and 50 Centimos, 1, 2 and 5
Bolivars struck in nickel-clad steel. They were the last of
these denominations struck with Barre’s design. Due to
continued inflation the coins were discontinued in 1990 because of
their minimal buying power.

VENEZUELAN COMMEMORATIVE COINS

In 2011 Venezuela issued a 25 Centavos for the 200th anniversary of the
signing of their Act of Independence. In 2010 it issued a 50
Centavos commemorating the 70th anniversary of its Central
Bank. Considering the severe inflation and economic
mismanagement the country has experienced it would not seem to be an
event one would want to commemorate. The standard reverses
are used on the coins which have the denomination and eight
stars. Both coins are nickel-plated
steel. Due to Venezuela's inflation the coins circulated only
briefly and are worth far more as scrap metal than their face value,
making them hard to find today.

RECENT
VENEZUELAIN COINS SET

On January 1, 2008 Venezuela implemented a 1000 to 1 revaluation of
their currency, replacing the Bolivar with the new Bolivar Fuerte
(Strong). Due to political and economic mismanagement and
falling oil prices the Bolivar Fuerte has proved to be anything but
strong and has lost almost all of its value. We offer the now
hard to find Bolivar Fuerte coins. The seven
coin set includes the 1, 5, 10, 12 1/2, 25 and 50 Centavos dated 2007
and a bi-metallic 1 Bolivar dated 2012. The 1 Bolivar
pictures national hero Simon Bolivar and has a lettered edge.
The other denominations show the denomination in large numerals on the
reverse. The 12 1/2 Centavos (1/8 Bolivar) is an unusual
denomination that harkens back when Spanish Pieces-of-Eight circulated
in the region. Because of severe inflation in Venezuela the
coins no longer circulate and are difficult to obtain.

ATTRACTIVE
&
UNUSUAL VENEZUELAN BANKNOTES

Reduced
size images

These full set recent banknotes from Venezuela are both are both
attractive and unusual. They are unusual in that they are
issued in both the vertical and horizontal format. The front
of the note is vertical and features a national hero. The
back is horizontal and features native wildlife. The 2012 2
Bolivares features Francisco de Miranda and a small vignette of a ship
on the front. Miranda helped Venezuela to obtain its independence from
Spain, only to be betrayed by fellow revolutionary Simon Bolivar. The
back pictures two Tonijas, also known as Orinico River
Dolphins. The front of 2011 5 Bolivares
features "Negro
Primero", also known as Pedro Camejo. Born a slave, he joined
the revolution against Spain and became a brave and skillful army
officer, until dying in battle in 1821. The back of the note
features two Giant Armadillo. The 2014 10 Bolivares depicts
Guaicaipuro, who led a coalition of tribes against the Spanish conquest
of Venezuela in the 16th century. The back pictures an American Harpy
Eagle with the Ucaima Falls in the background. Luisa Cáceres
de Arismendi, is on the 2013 20 Bolivares. In 1814, at age
15, she married the 39 year old General Juan Bautista Arismendi, who
was fighting for Venezuela’s independence from Spain. A few months
later the pregnant Luisa was captured by the Spanish in order to exert
pressure on her husband. She was imprisoned in a dark dungeon
and given poor food, but did not betray her husband. Her
child died at birth due to the poor prison conditions. In
1816 Spanish put her on a ship to Spain, however the ship was attacked
by privateers, and she and the other passengers were stranded in the
Azores. She was eventually taken to Spain. All this
time she had no communication with her husband, family or
friends. In 1818 she escaped to the United States and from
there eventually made it back to Venezuela and to her
husband. She went on to have a total of eleven children.
Quite an adventure! The back depicts two Hawksbill
turtles and the Macanao Mountains. The 2016 50 Bolivares
pictures Venezuelan philosopher and educator Simón Rodríguez.
A Spectacled Bear is on the
back. Simon Bolivar, who led the fight for the independence
of Venezuela,
Colombia,
Ecuador, Peru
and Bolivia
depicted on the
front
of the 2015 100 Bolivares. Venezuela’s currency is named
after him. The back features a pair of Red Siskin
birds. On December 12, 2016 the government suddenly
demonetized
the 100 Bolivares notes, giving citizens two days to redeem their
currency. It was the highest denomination and made up a
majority
of the value of currency in circulation. The banks of course were not
prepared, creating vast chaos. The government claimed the
move
was to stop speculators and smugglers. In reality it mainly
hurts
the poor who are do most of their transactions in cash, keep what
little savings they have in cash and are unable to invest in property,
gold or foreign currency. Since then the government has
repeatedly delayed the withdrawl of the 100 Bolivares note.
The notes all
measure 69x157mm. The six notes
are all of the denominations currently
issued. The six note set has a current catalog value of
$61.50.
Because of the recent fall in the value of the Bolivar we can offer the
complete set of these beautiful notes at a much better price.

NEW COINS OF
VENEZUELA

In
conjunction with the planned withdrawal 100 Bolivar note in December
2016, Venezuela introduced three new coins: the 10, 50 and 100 Bolivar
dated 2016. Also issued at that time were new high
denomination banknotes. Due to of the inability of the government to
get the coins to the banks and the rapid depreciation of the value of
the Bolivar the withdrawal of the notes has been repeatedly
postponed. The three coins are struck in a magnetic alloy and
have similar designs. The obverses feature the
Barre portrait of Simon Bolivar, which has been used on Venezuela's
coins since 1873. Behind him are three undulating lines
representing the three stripes of Venezuela's flag. The
reverses have Venezuela's new coat-of-arms, the denomination and
date. Because of their lack of buying power and the economic
collapse of Venezuela the coins rarely circulate and are difficult to
obtain.

Item
VE-SET16 VENEZUELA 10, 50 & 100
BOLIVARES, 2016
UNC.
$7.50

NEW INFLATION NOTES
FROM VENEZUELA

Reduced
size images

By December 2016 Venezuela's inflation had spiraled out of control. In
a desperate move the government suddenly demonetized the 100 Bolivares
note, which was the highest denomination then in circulation.
The 100 Bolivares made up almost half of the value of
currency in circulation. A new series of higher denomination notes,
ranging from 500 to 20,000 Bolivares was introduced. Citizens were
given 2 days to exchange their 100 Bolivar notes for higher
denomination notes. Unfortunately, the government did not
have sufficient supplies of the new notes, resulting in chaos,
confusion and hardships, especially for the poor who do their
transactions in cash and had most of their meager savings in 100
Bolivares notes. Those with close government or bank
connections were spared the hardships. The new notes utilized
same designs as the notes that were already in circulation, but had
higher denominations and different colors. The design of the
2 Bolivares was used on the 500 Bolivares, the 5 Bolivares design
became the 1000 Bolivares, the 10 Bolivares design was used on the 2000
Bolivares, the 20 Bolivares design was recycled on the new
5000 Bolivares, the 50 Bolivares design became the new 10,000 Bolivares
and the 100 Bolivares design became the new 20,000 Bolivares. Even with
the values increasing by 200 to 250 fold, the notes do not keep up with
the rapidly increasing prices. The notes are all
dated August 18, 2016 and measure 69x157mm. They represent a
desperate measure by a desperate government that destroyed what was
once one of the prosperous nations in South
America.